Movie killed the book

Have you ever feel betrayed after watch movies that based on the books?
Indeed, most of the movies based on the books are always disappointed. I feel that some movies have killed my imagination.

Why people made a movie based on the book, if they tend to change almost the whole stories.

Gossip Girl, Da Vinci Code, The Nanny Diaries, Devil Wears Prada, and etc. there were a lot of differences between the books and the movies.

Let's take Gossip Girl as comparison. Even the serial was not that disappointed the story has changed. Jenny was supposed to be double D. Dan and Serena? Where is Vanessa? I thought Eric studying in Brown.

If you watched the movie, I just wanna tell you. Based on the book, Jenny has double D, she quite scandalous, she was naïve and Serena wannabe. Serena was a goddess (the serial has shown it too). She was never interested with Dan. Dan was dating Vanessa, the other Constance’s student and indie movie maker. Blair was not lost her virginity with Chuck Bass (for God sake). Eric was a college guy, studying at Brown and has partied a lot. Blair’s mom was not a fashion designer; she was dating someone that Blair hates so much. Blair’s step brother, Aaron, had a relationship with Serena. Blair was not that mean, she was not evil. She just want everything to be perfect, but unfortunately Serena always ruining her plans. Please be objective with Blair :)

Can you imagine how disappointed I am? There was a huge different thing.

Da Vinci Code, The Nanny Diaries and Devil Wears Prada were acceptable. Even I like the books much better, I understand, it was hard to put few hundred pages of book into two hours movie. They should cut something to fit in, and more drama is a must! Well, drama drama drama, maybe they thought all of us like too much drama.

There was some movie that followed the remarkable book loyally. Gone with the Wind, I just watched it once again, I felt it was fascinating. The movie given me the same satisfaction as the book.

Pride and Prejudice was the same though. Even it gets more romantic in the movie, it's acceptable.

If you read the book, you like it, why do you want to make a movie that totally different? You can change a bit, but not the main story.

Should I watch the movie first rather than read the book? I know, I wont get disappointed if I watch the movie first then read the book. So, there is no more pleasure of reading then. Bcos my mind has been set by the movie. I could not have the free imagination anymore, something people could not take from me.

After all, each person has their own interpretation about the book they have read. I couldn't blame them. Even I still feel my imagination has been killed by those movies that shown really different stories.

Well for all the movie makers, please don't destroy the story.

Cheerio

Am I Chinese?

I was born in Indonesia, but I am pure Chinese. I'm proud being Chinese, I'm surely do. Now, it is kinda change a bit, it doesn't mean I'm not proud that I am Chinese, but I'm getting irritated by other Chinese.

When the first time I moved here, in Malaysia, I was not really care about that I'm Chinese but I couldn't speak Chinese. In my country, especially in Jakarta, it is not a problem at all. There are a lot of Indonesian Chinese, including my parents, who couldn't speak Mandarin, Hokkien or whatever.

Now, every time I'm in the cab with Chinese driver, they are going to speak in Mandarin to me. Whenever I reply, "Sorry Uncle, I cannot speak Chinese" they will accuse me.

Uncle 1: I thought you are Chinese ah
Uncle 2: You Chinese but cannot speak Chinese, funny ah
Uncle 3: How come you cannot speak Chinese. You are not Chinese!

They will give me those pity looks, or even get mad of me.

I will explain to them, how the thing was going in the past. Some stories, that Soeharto did not allow Indonesia Chinese to speak in their mother tongue language and even forced them to change their name to Indonesian name.

They still give me those pity looks, or ignore me, haha.

Uncle 4; You should learn Mandarin, today it is very important you know (agree!)
Uncle 5; Started to ignore me and bitching up in Mandarin. (for this type of taxi driver they are look very grumpy)
Uncle 6; Even your parents cannot speak Mandarin? aiyoooooo (shake their head and another pity looks again)

Well, those kind of reactions were came from taxi driver, or I will say uneducated class. My lecture and friends put more curiosity rather than accusing me about this (thanks God).

I know, every Chinese are always proud about Chinese. From the history I learnt, in the past they were the same. Chinese always think China as the centre of the world and other races are barbarian. Despite the facts Chinese is a good businessman and the economy builder in some countries, they are always the minority.

United States, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, they are the minority.

From the presentation I attended, the professor had mentioned that Chinese in China thought that Singaporean Chinese were not Chinese. They had emigrated from China, therefore they are not "Chinese" anymore. I think it is funny, because most of the time I heard from those taxi drivers that I am not Chinese because I could not speak Mandarin. Now all I wanted to say to them, "Do you know, you have been abandoned as well by the other Chinese? We are the same"

Well, after all I'm proud that I am Chinese. It is not my fault that my ancestor had travelled to Indonesia. This is not my fault that Soeharto used to hate Chinese. This is not my fault that even my parents could not speak Mandarin. I am Chinese.

I am proud as well, even I am Chinese, I'm not old-fashioned like most of the Chinese. I have blended with other races, I have seen more about cultural differences. I have learnt more about others, and I did not live in the box with "CHINESE" letter only.

Cheers!